UK Betting CEOs Urge Treasury to Block Proposed Duty Hikes Ahead of Autumn Budget
hief executive officers representing major operators within the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) have submitted a joint letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey, calling on HM Treasury to rule out prospective increases to gambling duties in the upcoming UK Budget announcement scheduled for October 28. The industry appeal specifically opposes a proposed doubling of the Machine Games Duty (MGD) on Category B gaming machines alongside requesting a deferral of planned increases to the General Betting Duty (GBD) scheduled for April 2027.
Projected Economic Impacts and Retail Footprint Contraction
The intervention signed by leadership across Flutter UK & Ireland, Entain, bet365, Evoke, Betfred, and Bally’s Corporation stresses that the retail gambling sector remains under severe operational strain following previous fiscal adjustments. According to BGC data, over 600 high-street betting shops have closed and more than 10,250 sector jobs have been eliminated or designated for redundancy since the 2025 Budget, contributing to a 38 percent total reduction in retail betting locations across Great Britain since 2015.
Citing economic impact modeling conducted by EY, the BGC cautioned that doubling the MGD from its current 20 percent rate to 40 percent would severely accelerate sector contraction. The study estimates that a 40 percent rate could trigger between 690 and 1,470 additional betting shop closures, force the shutdown of 28 to 34 land-based casinos, and result in 11,600 to 15,900 further job losses across retail and digital operations. Due to the resulting contraction of taxable retail entities, EY's analysis indicates the proposed tax hike could yield a net revenue loss of up to £124 million (€146.8 million) for HM Treasury rather than generating additional fiscal yield. Furthermore, independent modeling from Regulus Partners estimates that doubling MGD could cause an annual funding shortfall for British horseracing ranging from £40 million (€47.3 million) to £92 million (€108.8 million) through diminished statutory levy yields and media-rights payments, projecting that fewer than 25 percent of currently operating retail betting shops would remain commercially viable after three years.
Industry Leadership Response and Policy Demands
BGC Chief Executive Officer Grainne Hurst stated that further tax escalations would accelerate the structural decline of physical gaming venues, damaging local employment and sports funding without expanding the national tax base. The council urged Treasury ministers to freeze duty rates until the full operational and economic impact of recently enacted tax adjustments can be comprehensively evaluated.
